Day 2

Now that everyone had settled in it was time for the work to begin! It was the students' first tutorials today. The English students - Rosa, Claire, Tudor, Radu, Harrie and Alex- had a tutorial based on some readings on Humanism and Renaissance literature that they were assigned earlier. They enjoyed the tutorial but were surprised by the amount of reading that they had to do for the tutorial the following day!

After tutorials the staff showed everyone where they could grab lunch in the city centre and the students had some free time to explore Oxford in the sun. This year we have been incredibly lucky with the weather we've been having. That being said, some are finding it a bit too hot - as Alasdair's red, sunburned skin demonstrated!

Then it was time for independent research and study before going on a tour of Oxford. During the tour students saw all of the main sights in Oxford - including the Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian Library, Christ Church Meadow (and the college itself!), and the Bridge of Sighs. Students also were able to look around the present and former colleges of staff members, exploring their libraries and various quads. They heard all about student and college life at Oxford, from college rivalries (for example St. John's attempting to destroy Keble literally brick by brick) to strange traditions (such as May Morning). There was a lot of curiosity and questions to be answered by our guides!

After the tour we all ate at Fire and Stone, a pizza restaurant with exotic menu options such as "Peking", which is a pizza that includes crispy duck and hoi sin sauce as toppings! This was followed by a trip to the Oxford institution that is G&D's, an ice-cream shop and cafe frequented by students. Its midnight closing time and Wi-Fi makes it a popular alternative to the library!


For those who weren't too tired from a long, eventful day a trip to Port Meadow was up next.  There people relaxed, played football- with Claire and Olivia scoring the majority of the goals for their team! The game wasn't without its mishaps - unfortunately whilst going in for the ball, Marco slipped and fell in a cow pat. Despite this, he had an excellent attitude towards his bad luck, saying ,"Oh well, I probably already smell anyways!". Then it was a long stroll home; by the time we all got back the students were certainly ready for bed!

A tour group outside Christ Church College

Fun and games at Port Meadow